Ticket fine for short person
- 8 Jun 05, 12:00 AM
Ouch reader Stella Young, who hails from South Melbourne in Australia, has been in touch to tell us about a fantastic story that's been hitting the headlines in the state of Victoria over the past few days. A short person called Bruce Chaplin, whose nickname is apparently "Giant" (it's ironic, I think), was fined 150 dollars for being on a tram without a ticket. But he claimed that he had a very good reason for this - it was because he couldn't reach the money slot on the ticket machine. Previously, he'd asked other commuters for help him get his ticket - even though they sometimes took advantage by stealing his cash - but on this occasion there was no one around. Stella sent us a link to from the Herald Sun newspaper, under the headline "Short-changed" (which, though I don't like to admit it, is kinda clever).
But that wasn't the end of the matter. Bruce wasn't going to just take the fine lying down, and his subsequent battle against bureaucracy turned him into a , with complete strangers offering to buy his tickets for him - not to mention plenty of beers at the local pub.
His fight has paid off too, because the State Government has announced that it's withdrawn his fine, saying that the tram inspectors should have helped him buy the right ticket rather than automatically imposing a penalty. And what did the Herald Sun choose as their headline this time? Er, .
Crippled Monkey salutes you, Bruce. Have a virtual tinny on Ouch, y'hear?
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